Motherboard swap w/o reinstalling Windows XP?

[pepar]

I am about to remove a Shuttle AK31 v3.1 mobo and replace it with an Asus A7V333. Does anybody have any experience with/suggestions on doing this without hosing a Windows XP installation?

Thanks in advance for any assistance!

 

[lung]

Quite awhile back I did an upgrade from a Celeron and MSI BXMaster to a P3 1GHz and Asus CUSL2-C and my install of Windows ME was fine.. On boot up, Windows spent a fair bit of time finding new hardware, but afterwards it was fine. I can't say for sure if XP will be the same though, but I would tend to think so. Personally though, I am using the purchase of a new mobo and proc this time around to do a clean install. It is probably better overall to do so anyways.

 

[kursplat]

i tryed it once. just a MB , everything else the same. shuttle to an Iwill that both had via chipsets. iwill had the "A" version. it reinstalled the 4in1's when it booted and seemed to be fine but after a couple days i noticed it wasn't real stable .reinstaled win 98 and it's been fine since.
i don't think it was really worth the time i thought i was saving .
good luck

 

[TheCorm]

You'll never be sure you're getting the best performence.....You'll really see the difference if you reinstall windows as well. I changed from an Intel based chipset to Via based once along with a change from Cyrix to AMD processor and It seemed okay, was my first system build but I make it a policy to wipe windows when making a change of hard drive or motherboard.

Corm

 

[CoDerEd]

My experience, it's hard to do it at 2000/XP. At 98/Me it will just find the new driver for each new device.
At 2000/Xp it give me blue screen at front. one thing you could do. Back up all your data you need, or even make a recovery on entire disk. good thing if you have 2 hd you can back it up to the second one. then go to the safe mode menu and delete all the device on the hardware list. then cross your finger.
if it's not working you need to reformat it.

pEace

 

[mschell]

There are two different ways to make a major hardware change with WinXP and not have to reload the OS and all your programs. The first way is to change out the hardware and then boot the system with the XP installation disk. Skip the first section that list recovery and repair options and proceed to the "Select a partition to install Windows to", choose the existing installation, you will be asked if you want to repair the installation, answer yes. Windows will re-install itself, pick up any changed hardware but leave all your programs and settings intact.

The second and more difficult method is to install the Window backup utility from the XP CD and run a full system backup on the old system saving the backup file on preferably a separate HD but definately on another partition.
Now change the hardware and boot from the XP CD. Quick format the existing OS partition, then install the OS as you normaly do. When the new system comes up, install the Backup utility and run the program choosing the backup file you made previously. Windows will restore everything from the "old system except the old hardware of course.

The second method is safer as the first method can hang up mid way through the install putting the process in a unresolvable loop forcing you to reformat and loose everything. While both methods do a decent job of restoring every setting, your bookmark order might be scrambled and any Windows security updates or other core updates will need to be reinstalled.
Both methods will also transfer all the unwanted registry entries and leftover garbage from old program and driver installs, one good reason to format and reinstall everything from scratch.